


Ice ice (skating) baby

by ClaraCivry (Kat_Of_Dresden)



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Ice Skating, Just an excuse to imagine Roger and Brian in those outfits, Maylor-ish but friendship, Rivals but kind of friends, Soft Friends, They are ice skaters au, alternate universe - figure skating, could be developed but not in this one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 13:42:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19746919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Of_Dresden/pseuds/ClaraCivry
Summary: Roger is a popular talented ice skater.Brian is one of his rivals, but somehow, they're friends.Here's a competition day.





	Ice ice (skating) baby

The music is in him.

The music is him, courses through every limb, every corner of his bloodstream. He is not aware that he is moving to the music, that he is doing everything following the rhythm. Is not something he has to make an effort to follow, it’s something instinctive, it’s something almost primitive. As he softly slides through the ice rink, Roger is made of music, of beats and melodies, of notes, of chords, of each and every harmony in the song he’s chosen for the competition.

The moves come naturally, and this is why he is one of the best skaters around, because he doesn’t overthink anything, he just lets his body and the music that fills his soul take control, and those two forces are often smarter than he could ever be. The music guides him, the music knows what to steps to take, how to move to be bold, to be different, to be brave and still not violent or abrasive. The forces (his body, the music, his years long expertise in the choreography…

Roger is fit, Roger is talented and incredibly bright, and Roger has a soul, a kind of magic that nobody else does in the figure skating, at least not among the men. He is very aware of the trends and uses them to his favour, he knows how to adapt, how to be flexible depending on the contest, on the music, on the occasion. There are many Rogers, but all of them are sharp and bright and a joy to watch. It’s incredible how he loses himself in the music, how he becomes the music, and the audience is left dazzled, as this fairy-tale prince looking man danced as if he’d been made to do this, as if he was part music and part man, and making the notes come alive.

When he finishes practise, he draws a small smile, feeling content, happy with the performance he’s about to deliver. He really lives for what he does. The applause of the audience, the medals, the fans - it may be a cliché, but he’d always wanted to be popular, always wanted to be admired for his art. And this has given him both of the things he most wanted, a chance to enjoy music and a chance to be well known and appreciated - a chance to be loved by the crowds. He smiles to the empty seats, imagining them full of people cheering him, with those I love you Roger signs, and him wearing his shiny colourful outfit (flowers of every colour, and even some little birds and lizards were in the design, made by his good friend Freddie).

It is going to be a great night.

As he leaves, another skater comes in, and greets Roger with a simple nod. Brian is the polar opposite to Roger. Where Roger hardly thinks while skating, Brian thinks through every little detail. He manages to get the choreography to be elegant and intense because he is methodical and extremely intelligent. Where Roger is flexible, Brian is stubborn, and has difficulties to adapt. Where Roger changes with every song and picks styles that are up to date, Brian always chooses the same songs: passionately melancholic violin led songs, or the most amazing guitar based instrumentals. (Freddie says is Brian himself who plays those songs. Roger is not sure he believes it.)

The truth is, as much as Roger has tried to dislike this guy (it feels like he should dislike him, right? They are rivals and they are very different), there has always been something about Brian that caught Roger’s interest. The other man is someone you can always talk to, and even when you disagree, Brian is kind and he is respectful. That cannot be said for all the skaters in their circuit - some of them are machines that just perform moves mechanically, others try but are simply bad and some of them are just plain old bad people.

But Brian has no trouble complimenting Roger and his choreographies, and when Roger stays behind to watch Brian practise he often feels the need to applaud. Brian is entirely too overcritical with himself and his abilities, but he has incredible skills. There is a sort of respect between them, and if he is not going to win, Roger prefers the winner to be Brian. One of them, at least.

At night…. Roger’s head is not where it should be. For some reason, his head is not in the music, and he is distracted by everything. Although technically he’s delivered his choreography in a near flawless way, Roger knows there’s not been enough heart, he hasn’t been his best. Even the greatest people have bad days, even the most talented can give a bad performance.

He gets very good scores from the judges, maybe gold medal ones, but feels he doesn’t deserve this, especially in the Interpretation area. But he’s an old acquaintance of all those people, and he’s fun and everybody’s friend and he has a lot of friends. And he’s very easy on the eyes. Sometimes Roger wonders how much of his success has had to do with his looks, no matter how hard he’s tried to prove to everyone that he is more than a pretty face.

He leaves the ice rink with a heavy heart, confusing everyone since he’s got this very good score, and should probably be celebrating. But he’s shaking his head, feeling he’s disappointed the ice, the music, and Freddie’s beautiful clothes, everything. And yet…

Then Brian comes out. He’s wearing a white outfit with some blue lines, and he looks ethereal. All of him is in there, accompanying the plaintive violin music. Roger watches the pirouettes, Brian’s eyes shining as the music picked up and then he performed a triple Axel flawlessly, jesus, such a complicated jump and Brian managed… That is good, yes, Roger doesn’t mind. He actually breathes, happily, as he watches the other man skate.

It was often the other way around, Brian didn’t perform as well as he could because insecurities got the best of him, and Roger was flawless and smiled at the crowd. But not today, today Roger was not all there when it was his turn, but Brian is being amazing. One of us, at least. Brian does mess up a bit at the end, but not enough to taint all the wonder from before. Brian has brought the song to life, has danced beautifully the whole time, pulled off even the hardest jumps and spins and somehow managed to make the whole thing very much his.

Roger doesn’t know how to feel when the final scores are announced. Some kid called John who just came to “have some fun” has reached first place, apparently without meaning it. He’s happy that he has a bronze, but doesn’t think it’s fair that Brian’s left out of the podium. He wonders if audiences had anything to do with this (he is the public’s sweetheart), he wonders if the fact that Brian has less fans and has showed up today with his face bruised and scratched have swayed the scores. He doesn’t want to believe it, but…

He finds Brian’s gaze, far but in front of him. “One of us, at least.” Brian is mouthing and it taints the whole night, because it’s the wrong one of us, really.

Later, he finds Brian in the after party, and puts the medal in the man’s long neck.

“You deserved this more than me, today. Keep it.” Brian smiles, speechless, and Roger feels that if the ice and the skates could talk, they would probably want them to be friends. They’ve spent a lot of time disagreeing, fighting, but really… They respect each other, they like each other, and in some way they care for each other too.

Why one of us, at least, when it can be both of us?

They feel quite free after the nerves of the competition, after all is said and done. Wanting to do more, of course but glad for the day to be over, and to have a drink with a familiar face, and some music in the background.

“So, Brian… Why don’t I get you something to drink and you explain what on Earth happened to your face? ”

“I’ll need something strong, then!”

Roger gets some whiskey for the both of them.

“And since we’re both here… Pairs nationals are coming and my partner is having a baby, so… I’m free.”

“Tempting, Roger Taylor, tempting. But would we be able to agree on anything?”

“Maybe not. But whatever we ended up doing, it would be grand. Jumps, spins, fucking fast paced music…”

“Rock and roll?

“I think we can agree on that at least, Brian. Rock and roll!”

There’s something pleasant in the air, in the night.

The ice, the skates, the music, the long-gone audience are smile in their own way.

They somehow know that this alliance can be the beginning of something spectacular - never seen before… Forever to be remembered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> You know you want to comment! (Yes you do!) 
> 
> Requests for this verse are open too, if you have any ideas.


End file.
